It’s our one game against the Sixers this year. Everybody who’s excited raise your hand. No hands? Shocking!

It’s game two of the rodeo road trip and we will more than have our hands full with a hot and athletic Sixers team. As always, the number one goal is to finish the game healthy.

I know what you are thinking. Where the hell did this “finish the game healthy” come from? Well, I’m not sure if you noticed, but Monday night’s recap headlines were all injuries.

Derrick Rose leaves with back spasms

Carmelo Anthony leaves with strained groin

Danilo Gallinari out with chip fracture in ankle*

Chauncey Billups tears achilles

*The Grand Rooster just sprained his ankle and it out a month. And change.

1. Song: Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack

I can’t think of a better sentiment than “Inertia Creeps” that captures how I feel about this team. I’m slowly starting to see the pieces coming together. The development of all the role players. The devastating combination that Tiago and Tim are presenting the more and more minutes they play together. The rumors of Manu coming back soon. Tony playing like a man possessed.

Make no mistake. Inertia is building. There will be setbacks. But, it is building.

Massive Attack is a band I accidentally stumbled upon about four years ago. They were ACL and I had never heard of them (embarrassing, yes) when I decided I wanted to watch them instead of Willie Nelson. An absolutely fabulous show. A fantastic way to end 10 hours of music on a Saturday night. I really dig the sort of war drum sound that this has in it as it builds.

2. Key Match Up: Bench vs Bench

In their Monday night win against the Lakers, the Sixers got 49 of their 95 points from the bench. This included 24 from Lou Williams. The Sixers are one of the few teams in the league where you have to believe that their bench is better than ours. They are young and athletic and run you out of the gym. In addition to Williams, they have Thaddeus Young, Nikola Vucevic, and last year’s number two pick Evan Turner.

Our lack of playmaker, ie point guard, in the second unit could be huge here.

3. Keeping An Eye On: The Paint

Elton Brand missed the Sixers last game with a sprained thumb. With him out, rookie Lavoy Allen got the start. There only other bigs are Spencer Hawes and rookie Vucevic. The Lakers’ bigs had a field day in the paint and out rebounded the Sixers 55-30. The Spurs need to be diligent about working most possessions through Tim and Tiago. A dedicated effort to feeding the post should get us high percentage shots in the paint and open looks from 3-pt.

We’ll see if we have the discipline on the road to make that happen.

4. Bold Prediction: Spurs In A Squeaker

This is one of those games where I feel like we will play an ugly game, like in Memphis, and come out with a win. OR, we will play an ugly game and the home team gets hot from the field and buries us. I say we take it 88-85, but it will be a painful game to watch if that is the outcome.